On Sunday, March 16, 2014 The Maine Brew Bus will be making its first trip up to Bangor for the Greater Bangor Brewers tour. They will be taking their newest bus, which boasts comfortable, individual reclining seats, plenty of space for storage (read room for those growlers you’ll want to bring home) and an entertainment system to keep you occupied on the ride. Since I won’t be joining the group in Portland but instead hopping on board in Bangor there will be a second guest guide on the tour, my good friend Tim Bissell. Tim is a former Bangor resident, co-host of “Three-pint Stance” on the Downtown with Rich Kimball show as well as Director of sales, marketing and outreach for Gneiss Brewing Co., Limerick, ME.

The bus will leave Portland at 9am with scheduled stops in Topsham, Augusta and Waterville so if you don’t live in Portland you can still join the fun. Those interested in joining the tour that live closer to Bangor can meet the bus in town and save a few bucks. Tickets from Portland are $75, $60 for those meeting the bus in Bangor.

The Bus will be visiting a variety of locations in Bangor including breweries, a brewpub, a craft beer store and a beer bar.

Geaghan’s Restaurant and Pub has been a Bangor landmark since 1975, they began brewing their own beer in 2011 and have been trying to keep up with demand ever since. Geaghan’s is most definitely a must visit for the craft beer enthusiast visiting Bangor.

Black Bear Microbrewery is Orono, Maine’s family owned and operated brewery. Since 2008 Tim Gallon has been producing a variety of flavorful craft beers and just recently unveiled a newly renovated tasting room.

Seadog brewing company has been open since 1995; the brewpub is no doubt a popular spot in Bangor with a huge variety of beers on tap and killer food menu to boot. The guests on the tour will get the opportunity to check out the Barrel Room that overlooks the Brewhouse and sample some of their beers.

Bangor Wine and Cheese, this is a treat, maybe the stop I’m most excited about on the tour. Bangor Wine and Cheese alone is a great stop, offering a variety of Wines, Craft beer, olive oil, cheeses and charcuterie but we’re not just taking you to a bottle shop. To make this stop extra special we’ll have Brother Donald Paul of the Franciscan Brothers of St. Elizabeth of Hungary on hand to lead us in a special tasting. Brother Donald is the head brewer at the Friars Brewhouse in Bucksport, Maine; their beers are only available for purchase at Bangor Wine and Cheese.

Last but certainly not least, we’ll be visiting Nocturnem Draft Haus, Bangor, Maine’s premier craft beer bar since 2011. Nocturnem has 14 rotating taps, 1 cask engine and 1 Belgian Lambic line. Nocturnem is opening the doors for a very private sampling special for The Maine Brew Bus guests.

That’s it folks, The Maine Brew Bus is rolling into Bangor on March 16th, we’re visiting the best of the best and sampling what they have to offer, definitely a tour you won’t want to miss. What could be better than spending a Sunday being chauffeured around while you tour breweries and sample the best craft beers in the greater Bangor area?